Blue Moon
by Celestial Night
Summary: If you believed something with all of your heart, but your friend's tried to convince you that your head was full of delusions, what would you do? Sometimes it helps not to listen to reason. RavenRorek
1. B lue Moon, Soft Dust

Blue Moon

Raven/Rorek

My name's Celestial Night, but you can call me Fariha. I've watched every episode of Teen Titans released at least twice, so I know I great deal about the show. You can really call me obsessed. Raven's always been my favorite character, and it broke my heart when the only man whom she loved broke her _heart. So, I decided to make a fic out of what I think has to be the best coupling on the show. Enjoy!_

_Summary: Rorek, the wizard, is alive, but only Raven believes it. The other titans think that the book must be destroyed, so with her friends against her, what choices does she have, and what choices will she make?_

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_"Azarath Metrio-"_

"RAVEN!!!!!" Beastboy's urgent calls broke her chain of concentration, and Raven fell directly onto her room's cold floor.

"Beastboy?!" She called as she stood herself up. Beastboy's voice hid importance in it; Raven assumed something was wrong.

"He's on the roof," She thought as she heard him call her again. Instantly, she flew herself to the top of the Titans' Tower, and was a bit angered by what she saw.

"Raven! You're finally here!" Beastboy had a sheepish smile on his face, and the other titans were standing on the edge of the roof, smiling joyfully at something in the sky.

"Beastboy..." Raven started, a scowl on her face, "what do you--....woah..." She cut herself off when she finally looked up to the eye-catching object in the sky.

"O Raven! Is it not the most glorious thing you have ever seen? It is even more splendid than the works of fire!" Starfire exclaimed as she twirled in the air.

"It's so..." Cyborg started as he simply stared at it.

"Blue..." Robin finished, also staring.

The moon donned a beautiful shade of blue this evening. It gave off a new type of aura tonight. Its once pale, yellow complexion had a cool, crisp, and frosty theme to it.

Raven, although she thought the sight _was _amazing, didn't want to express it.

"You called me up for _this_?" She hissed angrily at Beastboy, who looked confused.

"C'mon, Raven! I thought you'd like this, I mean, it **only **comes around like...._once in a blue moon_!"

"If anyone wants me, I'll be in my room," Raven simply answered as she shaped herself into a black raven and slithered into the roof's floor.

"Women..." Beastboy stuck his nose into the air, but when a few black sparks started flickering in his hair, he frightfully squealed, "Sorry, Raven!!!"

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Raven sat with a sigh onto her bed as she looked across her room. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed the blue moon earlier. Everything in her room was covered in a soft blanket of bluish dust.

"I didn't know moonlight could be that strong," She spoke softly as she went to the window. She sighed once again and went to her bed. There she folded up her legs and continued her meditation.

"....Azarath Metrion Zinthos...."

As she focused her mind onto clearing itself, she didn't notice a particular beam of the pale light leak into a certain wooden trunk's keyhole. She also didn't notice the extremely soft, blue covering that surrounded the trunk and its very precious contents.

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_There was a man, and he was in pain. His cries steadily got louder and louder. His moaning was now at a point that it was ear-piercing. It wouldn't cease; it simply continued._

All of a sudden, as if someone had pulled out the man's plug, the crying stopped. There was absolute silence, but it only lasted for a moment, for all too quickly, there was another scream, but this one was the loudest of them all...

Raven awoke immediately, her head throbbing with the echoes of the man's pain in her head. This pain, it was like someone was taking a hammer and smashing her skull with it. As she grabbed her head in an effort to contain the headache, she noticed there was a loud whooshing sound in the room. She thought that there might have been some sort of hurricane in her room, that noise was so loud. For a moment she thought she was hallucinating, but as she looked around her room, something that was glowing a vivid blue now caught her eye.

"No way..."

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"Beastboy, you seriously should stop drinking all that soda before bed!" the changeling scolded himself as he went into the bathroom. A second later there was a flush, and the green titan came out of the restroom with a relieved expression on. 

He was walking down the stairs to his room, but then he noticed a strong _SWOOSH _coming from the floor that Raven's room was on.

He walked to her door with a baffled expression on as red question marks appeared out of nowhere beside his head.

"Raven?" He asked when the swooshing noises were ever so slowly coming to a halt.

"Raven?" He asked when there was no answer and the noises had almost completely diminished.

"Sorry, Raven," Beastboy changed himself into a rhino and fiercefully knocked down her door, but it was worthless, for he did not find who he was looking for.

Beastboy regained his human form and looked around. There was no Raven to be found. Instead, the wooden trunk was opened, and that ever-so-familiar spellbook was lying opened on the bed.

He immediately went to the book, and as he picked it up, a swooshing noise arouse and it started to pull Beastboy's arm into the book.

"What the--" He cried in protest as he tried to jiggle his arm free, but to no avail, for Beastboy was starting to be pulled so slowly, but surely, into the ancient pages.

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"I know this place," Raven breathed to herself as she walked along what she believed was the top to a castle. She was right, for this setting that she had been pulled into was the very one that Malchior had described in his fight against the wizard Rorek. These broken walls, etched with flames that could've only come from a dragon's mouth, felt so familiar to her.

Once she had realized where she was, Raven's hands started to glow a vicious black color for protection.

"I've gotta get out of here..." She immediately started to chant a spell that would return her to her previous location (her room), but stopped when she heard the same, familiar, masculine cries.

Raven shrieked loudly as her knees collapsed. _This headache was killing her._

They seemed so much louder this time, and Raven's head starting ringing terribly. Now trying to trace down the source, Raven struggled as struggled to stand up. She eventually flew herself down to a collapsing floor in the middle of the broken castle.

And there he was, lying helplessly.

She flew to him, but she had to keep her distance for his moans were killing her ears.

Raven yelled again, but kept her posture straight.

"Rorek?" She asked so softly to the man who was sprawled on the floor. His white hair was matted against his sweaty face, and his breathing was faster than the speed of the T-car. Raven noticed that his hands were stuck wo his side, and with a closer inspection, she noticed that the glue was dark, rich blood. His blue eyes were so still, like glass, as they looked helplessly at her.

She was about ten feet away from him, but despite the awful buzzing in her ears, she came and kneeled about two feet in front of his face, her hands still glowing black.

She was about to touch his face, when another familiar face cried:

"Don't go any closer, Raven!"

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Sorry if that chapter seemed rushed, and I'm sorry about the spelling mistakes, but my spellcheck isn't working! I know, I know, it was too much BB/R, right? Sorry about that. I do like that couple, but don't worry: This fic is Rorek/Raven all the way!

Please R/R, it is my first Teen Titans fic!

-Fariha


	2. L ittle Traces of a Strong Lust

_Cool! A whole **seventeen** reviews! (A lot of you probably think that's a not-so-sufficient amount, but it's really good for me!) Umm...I suppose it would be rude not to thank all of you!_

_**K.C. Whitestar-** Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it!_

_**Coolgirl123- **I'm glad you liked my fic so far, too! Thanks for reviewing!_

_**StreakedWithColor- **I know! That evil Malchior totally destroyed Raven's mind that actually wanted to love and be loved! Ugh! I will never forgive Cartoon Network for doing that...If you ask me, Starfire should've had her heart broken! LOL Thanks for the review!_

_**Sorceress Vanessa- **Ahhh...I remember thanking you for a totally different category. It's nice to see a review from you again, and you've become such a talented writer! Oh well, thanks for the review!_

_**charmednwicked- **Thanks, I'm really happy to see you enjoyed it. _

_**a-hamtaro-dreamer- **Didn't your pen name used to have underscores not hyphens? Anyway, thanks for the review. _

_**Scorpio Serpent- **Thanks, your review was sweet! _

_**Serenarey Chiba- **No! I love constructive criticism! I'm sorry I didn't have enough details in the last chapter...I did type it in like 30 minutes. Thanks for the review! I think it was the longest one I got, and I really like long reviews!_

_**Amber- **Thanks for the review!_

_**Wild Spirit Of Darkness2- **-Gasp- _

_**Kelly Riley- **You thought I did a good job! Thanks!_

_**Dr. Evans- **Thanks for the review! I hope you feel the same way about this chapter!_

_**Yojimbosblade- **Cool pen name! Thanks for reviewing!_

_**dukgrrl- **Thanks for the review, and thanks for liking how Raven was pulled into the book!_

_**JuniorBins- **Thanks!_

_**I'm-A-Shady-Gurl- **Hey, another YGO fan that I remember reviewed my stories! Thanks for reviewing! _

_**LazerWulf- **Thanks for the review, and the thirteenth chapter of _**Really And Truly **_is out! _

_Enjoy the chapter!_

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Raven knew that voice all too well, unfortunately.

"_Of all the moments he showed up..."_

She closed her eyes tightly, her hands still petrified in front of Rorek's face. Hoping to ignore Beastboy as best she could, she tried her hardest to focus on the being lying in front of her helplessly.

"Raven did you hear me? Raven!"

If she kept her eyes closed, maybe he'd just vanish...

"Raven! **Raven!**"

Nah...That wouldn't work; he was still there. She could ignore him for like what...5, 10 seconds tops?

"**RAVEN!" **Beastboy, fearing she was in a deep trance, put his hands on Raven's shoulders from behind her.

Still...those would be quite wonderful 5-10 seconds....

"Beastboy," Raven started, startling Beastboy and causing him to jump far back from her shoulders. "I'm fine," she assured, detecting the worried aura surrounding him.

"That's good to he-" Beastboy cautiously tried to reply, rubbing his neck sheepishly, but was shortened by Raven.

"However," she began as she stood up, her cape flowing down her amazing figure, "what, may I ask, are _you_ doing here?" She walked closer to Beastboy, causing him and her to stand face-to-face, a few feet separating them.

"This would be a really good time to say 'Shouldn't _I_ be asking that question?!'"

"I asked you first."

"So?"

"I'm not a very patient person."

"Why isn't the book in the Evidence Room?"

"You're changing the subject."

"What you're talking about is totally irrelevant to the main point!"

"Ooo, big word, that otta intimidate me."

_Silence_

Finally realizing that Raven wasn't entirely in the mood to talk, Beastboy went to the next biggest issue.

"Is he...alive?" He asked, his eyes gesturing slowly to the wizard.

"Obviously. Didn't you hear him screaming like a minute ago?" Raven answered, just realizing that the yells had ceased.

An awkward moment of silence past again. Both Titans, listening only to the paced breathing of the wounded Rorek, couldn't stand anymore of this.

"_**Well?" "But-" **_

The two teens started at the same time. Both looked down. Raven gave a subtle nod for Beastboy to go on as their eyes met for a second.

"Raven," Fearfully, Beastboy stepped closer to her, "I _did_ hear the screaming." Raven looked confused for a moment, but she let him speak on. "But whoever was screaming, it wasn't him. I saw him, didn't you? The screams, when I heard them I saw you bending forward to him, and I saw his mouth: It wasn't in a screaming position. That's why I was worried."

"Not in a screaming position?"

"Those screams were full of pain...and passion...and he's barely even moving his mouth."

Raven turned to look at Rorek. Sure enough, if it wasn't for his paced breathing, she really wasn't sure if he was alive. His eyes, those glossy eyes, just stared into nothing, not showing much signs of life. (Although, Raven could've sworn he was looking at her just a moment ago.)

"He's a powerful wizard. How do we know that he doesn't need his mouth to physically move so that he can express pain?" Raven didn't wait for Beastboy's reply to that. She walked closer to Rorek, now standing a few inches in front of those eyes. Beastboy walked closer and came to stand right beside her shoulder. Together the two looked at the wizard, completely different thoughts were racing in their minds.

Raven bent down to the very front of Rorek, her hand, as it was doing before, was trembling with doubt as she wanted to touch his porcelain-like expression.

"RAVEN!"

"What?" She asked innocently, feeling a few drops of sweat at the very top of her bangs.

"You want to _touch _him? Hello! Don't you remember the last time you had an encounter? He tried to **destroy you!!!**" Beastboy ranted on, waving his hands vehemently like a hummingbird.

"Beastboy," Raven cut him off again, but this time, more quietly. "This person that's lying here at my feet is Rorek, the wizard. Malchior was the dragon that...you know..." She broke off, obviously not wanting to speak of it anymore.

"How do you know he isn't in disguise?"

"I just...do...."

Beastboy left a two second long pause before he answered. "I didn't know that Malchior wasn't the only one in the book."

Raven was yet again looking at Rorek, caring little about what Beastboy had just said...

Until she finally realized what he said and what importance it had

"Neither did I," Raven breathed quietly so that Beastboy couldn't hear. But Beastboy heard anyway, and he sat down next to Raven. Raven looked at Beastboy for a second, and he gave her a head signal saying to touch Rorek. Raven looked back to Rorek, gulped, but finally reached her hand out to him.

_Ice. Cold, freezing, almost hot, Ice. _

His skin sent shivers all throughout Raven's body. Her hands were numb as they went up across Rorek's cheek. But the feeling was still so familiar, like how Malchior used to hold her and promise that he would always protect her.

"Ra--ven?" Beastboy asked jealously as he saw the smile form absentmindedly on her face as she happily caressed Rorek. Just then, Beastboy realized the twitching on Rorek's face. The source of all this twitching, apparently, seemed to come from the lower part of the face, or the mouth. "Raven, look at this!"

Raven snapped out of her reverie rather quickly to see Beastboy start to unfold the neck of Rorek's suit to reveal his mouth.

"Beastboy?" Raven asked, confused.

Beastboy had no time to answer. Instead, when he was done with the unfolding, the two Titans stared at Rorek's twitching mouth curiously. He was definitely struggling to say something.

The two titans looked at each other yet again, but soon snapped back to Rorek.

"Stay back," Rorek whispered nearly inaudibly.

"WHAT?!" The two Titans asked as their eyes went big as bugs.

He was panting, his eyes still glossy. Raven just remembered that her hand was still on his cheek, and a new warming sensation was starting.

As the Titans stayed in an utter state of confusion, a rumbling started. At first it was nothing too intense, but it got stronger, and stronger. Beastboy and Raven quickly got up. Beastboy morphed into a hawk and flew into the air. He landed on a broken wall of the castle and turned back into his human form. Raven flew up next to him.

"What's going on?" She got a severely baffled shrug as a reply.

It took only a few more seconds for the duo to notice the cracking brick floor. Apparently, the floor was collapsing. In the far distance of the castle, they could see a green, lime-like, light emanated through the miniscule cracks of the castle floor.

Green Lantern emerged through the floor, an orb of green light surrounding him.

"Hey, have you two seen Hawkgirl?" He asked the two who could not have looked more confused.

"WRONG SHOW!"

Green Lantern looked disappointed. "Well, if you see her, give me a call, ok?" And he vanished as quickly as he came.

o.O

Anyway, _another_ green light started to emanate from the cracks. This time, the lights had a waaaayyy too familiar feeling to them.

"He's coming!" Beastboy exclaimed, remembering the light. (And this time, the light did not belong to Green Lantern!)

"We've been led into a trap," Raven furiously mumbled, staring at Rorek through the corner of her eyes.

"We've gotta go!" The two yelled, saying the obvious.

_Ichi-ban_

_Ni-ban_

_San-ban_

"_**AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!!!"**_

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Raven was completely disheveled as she tried to sleep. When she cast her spell to get her and Beastboy back to her room, she found Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg standing in front of the book with their boomerangs/starbolts/lasers ready to fire. Starfire and Cyborg were quite happy to see their friends in one piece, but Robin was another story. He confiscated the spell book and put it who knows where.

She got up out of her bed. She knew Robin would never put it in the Evidence Room, that was too easy.

"Foolish Robin," Raven breathed, "You can take my book and run, but you can't take my book and hide." No amount of science could match Raven's magic and her tracing skills.

She went to her bed. She needed something that belonged to the book to find the book via her magic. She reached under her pillow, and pulled out the Paper Rose. (Need I give an explanation on why this was under her pillow?) She threw that Paper Rose into the air and it levitated before her.

"_Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" _

A map of Titans' Tower appeared. A red dot glowed where Raven's room was. A green dot, which must've been the book, glowed on the location of a wall that was directly adjacent to Starfire's room.

"Why would the book be in a wall....unless, of course, it's not a wall...?"

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As Raven hovered tediously to Starfire's room, Raven thought about why she needed that book back so badly: She left Rorek.

She just left him there, and he was warning her. He was no doubt bait set up by Malchior to get Raven. But then, he could've been an illusion. Never had she found out that Rorek, the wizard, was in the book.

Confusion was the understatement of the century if you wanted to describe Raven at the moment.

"All I know," she reassured herself, "Is that I shouldn't have left him, I don't care if he was real or not." She was being haunted by her guilt of just leaving him there.

That's why she was off to find that book.

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It took her like 10 seconds to fly to Starfire's room. She stood in front of the door for a second, but finally phased through the wall.

She went to the left side of Starfire's room, watching ever so carefully the movements of the Alien girl while she slumbered. Starfire's naiveté might've always gotten the best of her, but she was still a brilliant girl, and Raven had to watch out for that cautiously.

Raven flew, careful not to make a sound, to the "wall" of Starfire's room. If her magic was correct, which it always was, there was a room here. It was up to Raven to find the doorknob that would let her in...

Or she could've just phased through the wall and have entered the room, which she did. She also phased through the millions of miniature lasers that were surrounding the book, which was mounted on a glass pedestal. She easily got the book in her hands and phased back through the wall.

Victorious of her accomplishments, Raven actually smiled for a half second as she closed her eyes and got ready to phase through Starfire's room and into hers.

"Robin warned me to keep that book from you, and I must keep my word...."

Raven opened her eyes just as she reached Starfire's door.

"Starfire..." Raven mumbled quietly, tightening her hold on the book.

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_It was probably a lame chapter, right? Sorry if it was, and sorry about the Green Lantern scene. My sister actually dared me to put that in, and I thought it would be kinda cute. _

_My spell-check is still on the fritz, so please excuse the massive amounts of errors._

_**Preview:**_

_**Raven stared at all of them in amazement. The four of them, surrounding her in a demented little circle, were completely against her. (Or, at least that's what they wanted to show the world.)** _

_Thanks for reading! Please review! _

_-Fariha_


	3. U nderstanding

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Sorry for the long wait! I won't take up your time in long notes, so here's the chapter!

"Robin warned me to keep that book from you and I must keep my word..."

Raven opened her eyes just as she reached Starfire's door.

"Starfire..." Raven mumbled quietly, tightening her hold on the book.

Raven froze. She could feel every miniscule groove in the book's leathery spine.

"Raven, I do not understand…" Although Raven had her back to Starfire, Raven could tell by the green shadows reflecting on the wall in front of her that Star was getting ready to defend herself.

"Of course you wouldn't." Raven dug her nails so protectively into the book that her hands started to get sweaty. Bravely, Raven turned around to meet Star's face, and she had to carefully fix an emotionless expression onto her face. When Raven got a good look at Starfire, she realized that Star's hands weren't the source of green light on the walls.

No, Starfire wasn't going to attack. Whatever that green light was, it was hanging from her mid-chest. Her eyes were dangerously brought out by this matching object. It wasn't her gem that was engraved into her neckplate. It was…something else, something truly more vividly green…

She was floating a few inches in the air, a disappointed look spread on her face. Raven, whose eyes were half closed due to the emanating light, was about to say something when she heard Starfire's door slide open.

"…alarms…" Starfire breathed to Raven as both girls hung their heads low, Raven refusing to turn around and look at Robin.

It was official. Robin was most annoying when he paced around the room.

He just kept turning and walking, and walking and turning. He said not one word. The only sounds in the room were the swift wind-like movements made by his cape.

Raven held back her sigh. Her legs were pressed together and her arms were folded across her chest. Her face held the same monotone expression that usually donned her face. She would not let the other Titans know her true feelings.

The lights of the Titans common room were on. Raven would've preferred them off, because Robin's suit was becoming a blur of green, red, and black. It was starting to give Raven a headache. Therefore, she glanced past the pacing Robin and at the window, where a full moon was clearly visible above the silhouette of the city skyline. Raven hated this moon. It wasn't blue like the one she saw the other day. It wasn't that mystical shade that had covered her book in a layer of blue dust. It was this ugly color of yellow, which Raven had now, for some reason, come to despise. She could've stared at this moon for eons in disgusted satisfaction, but Robin brought her out of her reverie.

"Raven." her eyes quickly darted back to the Boy Wonder as he spoke her name. His tone had a sharp edge to it. This tone was unfamiliar to Raven coming from Robin. He had never scolded her before.

Cyborg, Starfire and Beastboy. Raven heard them come up behind the curved couch she was sitting on. She had forgotten they were there, either that, or she had decided to subconsciously block them out.

"I didn't expect this from you…" Raven's eyes widened a little. What was Robin talking about? Was it so wrong to take back what was rightfully hers?

Raven's arms unfolded as she stared at Robin wearily. "The book is mine--"

"It's considered evidence when it puts other people in danger."

Raven didn't expect that kind of rebuttal from Robin. She had a come back for that, but would she say it? Should she say it?

"I understand, Raven, that Malchior was close to you," Starfire said quietly as she gently flew to where Robin was standing. "And I know what it feels like to be betrayed by one whom you are close to…" Suddenly Raven realized what that green object hanging from Starfire's neck was. Star wasn't wearing it anymore, but Raven was positive that she knew what it was.

"But when that person close to you hurts you, it is best to remain cautious of them, for they are the ones who are most deceiving."

"Yeah, Raven, you kinda went all nuts the last time you let that book get to you, remember?" Cyborg asked as he put his hands on the top of the couch and leaned forward. "We just want to make sure that doesn't happen again," he reassured when Raven stood up quickly.

"You don't trust me," she said slowly, with her eyes closed, her back to Cyborg, and the worst feeling of pain coming from somewhere deep inside her. She knew the book was right there, right in front of the couch. Just placed there carelessly on the table after Robin had made her put it down. Why couldn't she just take that book and leave? Run away and never look back?

…Because she knew that that would make the Titans lose the trust that they had for her, and that trust was already slipping from them. She wanted to keep the little value they had for her, so at least she could explain herself.

"It's not that we don't trust you," Beastboy explained as Raven felt hands on her shoulders. She opened her eyes and saw Beastboy's large green ones. She opened her mouth, but he started speaking. "We know that Malchior got the best of you. He found out your weaknesses, your strengths, everything. We just want to make sure that he doesn't use those things against you, again."

Beastboy released his hands from her shoulders when Raven tightly shut her eyes again.

"Have I _ever_ given any of you a reason to lose trust in me previously? We've all had our bad moments but we always came through them together, as a team, and the one time I'm the one struggling to redeem myself, you do this." Her eyes were wide open. She glanced around at the four of them; they seemed completely unaltered. They looked as though they pitied Raven, the poor dear.

She looked from Beastboy, to Robin, to Starfire, and then looked back at Cyborg. They had circumvented her. Was she suddenly the enemy here?

She didn't want to think about the answer to that question.

Raven stared at all of them in amazement. The four of them, surrounding her in a demented little circle, were completely against her. (Or, at least that's what they wanted to show the world.)

"Please." she was trying to level with them here. "That book is mine, I just want it back. It's not evidence, it's just a book. I had it locked up in a chest earlier and you guys had no trouble with it. And the only reason I originally went into the book was because it pulled me in when I was looking at the blue light that was surrounding it. Ask Beastboy, it pulled him in too."

"You were going to steal it back tonight," Robin reminded, his arms folded tightly.

"Because it's _mine_!"

"It has the potential to hurt--"

"Slade's mask _doesn't_?" There. Raven had said it. She didn't want to, but she felt it was the only way to make Robin see from her point of view.

Robin's eyes softened. "…what…?"

"You keep Slade's mask in your room," Raven said quickly as she looked down. She made her cape cover her body, for she was suddenly starting to feel cold. "And don't think I don't know about how you try it on sometimes." All eyes went to Robin.

"You do?" Cyborg asked in astonishment.

"That's not the point," Robin said sharply as he quickly grabbed the book from the table.

"Cyborg, you sometimes put on Victor Stone's ring," Raven informed. The eyes shifted from Robin to Cyborg within a split second. Cyborg had slight lines of red appear on his face. Sure, sometimes put on that ring to remind himself of his undercover days at the H.I.V.E., but that wasn't so bad, was it?

"Starfire," Raven said as she looked up at the Tamaranian Princess. "You sleep with the necklace Blackfire gave you on."

Starfire let a small gasp escape her lips before she defended herself. "That was a personal emblem of when I thought my sister was incapable of evil."

"And what do you think I call the book?" Raven asked, an eyebrow raised. "That book, to me, is a remembrance of the time I was truly happy. It was when I could be anything, _feel_ anything. Yes, I know that that happiness was short-lived and on Malchior's part it was a complete façade, but even if it was only for a few days, I was pleased to be who I was."

"Your book has the power to possess," Robin reminded.

"No, I let the book possess me. Don't you think I'm smarter than to just let that happen again?"

There was a pause in the Titans' commons. It seemed like it lasted for a good hour, but truly, it was only a few moments. Every Titan was reflecting on what had just happened, what had just been said. Robin had the biggest choice to make.

He looked at Raven. She was right. She had never given him a reason to doubt her. He held out the book that he was still holding, and he let her take it. The other Titans looked skeptical, but Raven kept that monotone on her face, hiding her smirk, and grabbed the book in a black orb. She floated the orb over the table and into her arms; she quickly turned around and flew towards the steps. Her foot was on the first step when she heard Beastboy's indignation.

"That's it? You're just giving it to her?" Beastboy, who still had the chills from being inside that book, asked Robin. Raven turned around and looked at Beastboy. He was the only one she hadn't revealed the secret of. Even she wouldn't go that low. Perhaps he realized this, for his eyes widened softly, and he shut his mouth. Raven pulled her hood over her head and left through the doors.

Within five minutes, all the Titans were in their rooms, a retrospection of playing in their minds.

Beastboy sighed as he lay on his bed. He didn't notice what he was doing because he did it so often that it became an involuntary action for him. He would enter his room, pick up the object off his nightstand, and fiddle with it until he fell asleep.

"Robin shouldn't have done that," Beastboy mumbled. "That book should be burned……" He yawned the last part of that statement. He went to sleep in a couple of minutes, Terra's pink hairclip tightly clutched in his hand.

Raven sat with the book on her lap, an ardent debate going on inside her head.

Rorek, or at least, who she _thought_ was Rorek had warned her to stay back. He was trying to save Beastboy and Raven from the dragon, Raven concluded. That's why she had to go back into the book. She had to see him, thank him, whatever! She still had to investigate this. That _was_ the main reason she decided to take back her book tonight.

But still, after what she had just said to her fellow Titans, how could she just go back into the book? But then again, the other Titans really never had to know about her journey, did they?

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I should see what's going on and why "Rorek" warned me.

But I can't risk losing the trust of the other Titans again.

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Who says they have to know?

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Still, I shouldn't. It's risky, and that book can_ get the best of me._

Are you scared?

No, I'm just considering my options.

You could always cast a quick spell and get yourself out of the book before anyone ever finds out.

True…

Raven stood up before she changed her mind. She opened the book and placed it on the floor. She shut her eyes tightly and took a large breath.

She was in a little valley. Rocks scattered here and there. Rich green grass that came past her shoes itched at her legs as she walked. The sky was that same putrid green color, and she could she the yellow brick castle on a hill a few meters ahead of her.

__

That's where he is. Raven stared blankly as she started walking towards the castle, a strange feeling causing her to feel numb as she did so. Maybe she was excited, anxious, etc.. She walked only a few feet when a voice behind her called:

"I wouldn't walk any farther if I were you."

Raven turned around to see the source of the voice, but judging from the accent, she already had a good idea as to who it was. When she saw that her assumptions were correct, it took all the strength she had not to buckle down and faint.

His eyes were still the same shade of frosty blue, and his hair was still snowy white. He still had that black scarf wrapped around his neck which wavered elegantly when the wind struck it. His armor was still this unbelievably shiny silver, with a large black R superimposed onto the chest.

"…I….." Raven mentally kicked herself. Couldn't she say anything else? She knew her mouth was hanging open slightly, but she couldn't find the strength to close it.

Rorek came closer to Raven, and Raven forgot about all fears; she forgot that he could be Malchior or just another trick. For this moment, that was the real Rorek standing before her.

He came to face her, their distance being only a few inches. He looked down at her, and all Raven could do was stutter incoherent words as she looked into those eyes, which seemed like the only living things in the world.

"It's so nice to finally get a chance to see you again and formally introduce myself," the young man spoke.

Raven backed away from him for a moment. "R-R-orek?"

The young wizard stepped a few inches closer to Raven, then, almost as an afterthought, he pulled down his black scarf to reveal a gracious smile.

__

No, it's too good to be true…

Raven flew into the air, her hands glowing, her eyes illuminated.

"I didn't know the dragon had company in this book," she snapped in a voice much harsher than she wanted.

The wizard put the scarf back over his mouth and flew into the air, coming to face Raven. Raven let the surprise overcome her for a mere second before she calmed herself down; she didn't count on the wizard being able to fly as well.

"Please, if you'll just let me explain, dear Raven--"

"How do I know you're just not telling me lies?" Raven had no choice; she could not let her heart be broken again.

She flew backwards when the wizard started to come closer to her.

"Please!" He sounded desperately serious this time. "I will tell you anything you ask and spare no details while I'm at it, but you must keep away from that castle!"

Raven turned her head back. She was still a good few meters from the hill the castle was atop. Raven turned back to the man. His eyes were widened in bona fide concern.

"You're too close to the dragon," he explained. "If you're in a certain range to his castle, you become fair game." His hands were reaching out, as if trying to pull her back to him.

Raven was lost. Could she trust this young man? How did she know that the castle wasn't the safest place to be right now?

"..uh…" Raven was turning her head from the castle to "Rorek" quickly.

She wasn't moving. She had her head turned toward the castle when she felt the young man's hand around her wrist. She looked back at him, her eyes now glowing viciously.

"Let go!" Raven tried to jerk her hand anyway, but he was strong.

"I placed myself in the book to save myself!" She didn't realize it, but he was slowly pulling Raven away from the castle.

Raven's hands stopped glowing and her eyes resumed their normal violet hues.

Raven looked at him quizzically. He didn't look down at her, instead, he kept his eyes looking forward as they floated slowly away from the castle.

"I took up the last bit of my energy fighting the dragon," he started to explain, his eyes still focused ahead. "To preserve myself I had to place myself into the very essence of the book." He finally looked down at her. "The dragon is imprisoned within the castle walls. The only reason I am in this book is to keep myself from diminishing."

Raven held her breath. The two of them were now floating, not moving, in midair. Their eyes were locked intensely. The victor would be whoever didn't look away first. His hands were around both her wrists now, but his grip wasn't hard. She almost wished he wouldn't……--

"How could the dragon hurt me?" Her breath was still. Their bodies were still close that he could feel Raven's chest obdurate. Her hood, which had been on ever since she left the Titans' Commons was now slipping off her head.

"He fed off the power you gave him," the wizard answered, understanding her question completely.

"I didn't give him a power," Raven answered. She couldn't think of what she was saying. Words just poured out of her mouth. "I just let him manipulate mine." She, being a rather powerful sorceress, knew the difference of _giving_ and _using _someone else's powers. She broke her wrists away from his hands, suddenly remembering where she was.

She flew away from him, but not towards the castle. She hovered a few feet before him, her breathing still. She realized that the young man wasn't breathing all that regularly either. Their eyes were still locked.

"You didn't realize you were giving it to him for the power emanated from you before you ever touched the book. It was that power that fed the dragon and allowed him to overpower me. He molded himself into an exact replica of me, and he emulated me to every pigment in my form. All the while he had me locked up in that castle."

"What power did I give him without realizing it?" Her words just came, like his, without thinking.

There was a silence. Eyes still locked, but the wizard didn't want to reveal the answer, obviously.

"You gave him…the desperation of a young girl," he answered at length. Raven didn't say anything, so he continued. "He felt that sorrow coming from you, and he fed greedily off of it."

"You were hurt on the castle earlier," Raven reminded quickly. The subject needed to be changed for her.

"Again, there was a power that he used to empower himself. The power let him control my body and make me feign injuries while he lured you to the castle."

"The Blue Moon," Raven whispered to herself.

The wizard, who Raven was slightly sure she could call Rorek safely, looked away the same time she darted her eyes away. They both lost the battle of locked eyes.

Raven flew back down to the ground and felt the itchy green grass play on her skin again. Rorek flew down beside her.

"Yes, unfortunately, I have been living out what is left of me in these pages…an eternity doomed in isolation. I often look back and think that letting myself perish would've been a greater fate than remaining alone for all those years."

He walked ahead of Raven, so that he was now standing with his back to her as he looked down a hill of the rich, green, itchy, grass.

"Sometimes you don't need to be locked up in a book to be alone," Raven said. A second past after she said that, and then a beautiful green stem popped out of the ground and went as high as Raven's head. Then, a little red bulb appeared on the steam, and gradually, it started opening up into a flower. A rose. She couldn't see his face, but she could tell that Rorek was smiling.

"My dear Raven, if you keep thinking likewise you'll having the dragon up and running within moments," Rorek explained. "Optimism is the sole factor of survival in this literary world, in many more ways than one. This place can get rather dreadful at times, but aside from its gloominess, I can manage."

Raven appeared next to him as she dabbed the flower at her nose. She stood beside him, looking down the hill as a smile played the sides of her lips.

"It's ok, I like gloomy."

__

Ok, well, the chapter's finally done! I hope it wasn't all that bad.

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Preview:

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Raven eyed Starfire seriously. "Starfire, would you really like to know?"

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Now for some Thanks for the reviews I got.

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a-hamtaro-dreamer-: Thanks for the review! Oh, and keep writing! I rather enjoyed reading your fics.

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Crimson Breeze: Read the summaries already! Oh, and I know you updated two of your fics, it's just that I can't review or anything from my computer at home. But I've read the chapters and they're cute! Thanks for reviewing!

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DarkAngelB: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the Green Lantern bit ). I hoped you liked this chapter since it had the most hints of a Rae/Rorek relationship.

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JuniorBins: Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you liked the chapter!

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K.C. Whitestar: Yeah, Raven should've run away, but she'll do more of that in the upcoming chapters. Believe me, Starfire catching her trying to steal the book is nothing compared to what Raven will have to do soon. Thanks for the review!

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LazerWulf: Well, I'm trying to update my YGO fics as quickly as possible, you know, but schoolwork's got me occupied at the moment. I get out of school on the 21st of June, so after that hopefully I'll get some new chapters up. Thanks for reviewing, and I'm honored that your fics were indirectly inspired by mine! That's so cool…

Nighthawk Malow: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you liked the Green Lantern scene.

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Scorpio Serpent: I'm glad me updating made you happy. Let's hope that's the case for upcoming chapters. Thanks for the review.

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Twead: Interesting name. Thanks for liking my story, and thanks for reviewing!

Well, I got like 9 reviews for that chapter. I'm not very proud of that number, so I tried to make this chapter better. What can I say, I just love reviews. Perhaps I should go back to my Yu-Gi-Oh fics where I easily get 15 reviews.

Thanks for reading, and reviews are free: Be generous!

Fariha 


	4. E verything

_Yes, ok, I know it's been long. Please know that I have honestly been busy. But, school ended yesterday for me so I have a lot of free time now._

_I've lost interest in the show. I mean, I honestly can't believe I was so obsessed with it when I look back. Still, I love the character of Raven and I won't give up on this fic._

_Please forgive me for the wait. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon._

_Here you go, chapter four's here._

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Raven suddenly smelled something…something strange prickling her nose. All the while, whatever it was that was activating her olfactory nerves was tickling her soft lips. She drowsily opened her eyes, yet the sight of the sharp green sky caused her to immediately shut them again. As she did so, she heard small laughter coming from somewhere beside her.

"Honestly, you get used to that sky after a while, despite how horrid the color may seem at the moment," that smooth voice explained, a hint of a smile hinting at every word he spoke.

Raven opened her eyes slowly and felt a soft fabric that wasn't her cloak around her. She looked at the black scarf that was draped around her as a blanket. As she looked at the scarf in her hands, she also noticed the rose he gave her lying on the ground beside where her face was a moment ago.

"I didn't realize I fell asleep," she said sheepishly, with the smallest hint of a blush upon her face, as she picked up the rose.

"Well, that's not hard to believe…you were very tired after the night we had," the voice responded. As Raven looked up at him, a little too quickly with a strange expression on her face, she wondered exactly what he meant by that last line.

The young wizard laughed some more as he put up his hand. "Not to worry, what I meant was we talked for hours."

Raven remembered it vaguely…this young wizard knew many of the spell books she had read; he knew about the great wizards of the different dimensions; he claimed that he had mastered some of the strongest spells known to all of good magic (but she was sure that was just some bragging on his part).

She felt like smacking herself…she really did not know whether or not this boy was actually the wizard he claimed to be. She gave in too easily…and she bit her lip as she realized the reason why.

Lonely.

She feared she would be for the rest of her life…and no, this was one void the Titans could not fill. For although they were the best friends she could have, they would never be able to relate to her like she thought this young wizard could. She felt a small ping in her chest as she looked up at the green sky.

_Please don't let this be a mistake.  
_

She just could not take another heartbreak again.

She stared at him. He was sitting a few yards away on a large rock jutting out of the hill. Had he watched her as she slept on the grass? Normally, thinking that a boy that she just met was watching her as she slept would be slightly unnerving for Raven…but this time, she found herself feeling slightly…relieved.

He could have taken his chance and have finished her off if he was the dragon pretending to be the wizard again. But he didn't. In fact, he had let her sleep even more peacefully by giving her his scarf incase she got cold.

That had to mean something, right?

She stood up and dusted her self off. As she bent over to pick the flower and scarf off the ground, she felt something stranger in her hair. Suddenly, a few grass blades fell out of hair in little green circles.

"You had some grass in your hair," he explained. "Although I must say that the color combination of green and that lovely shade of violet goes well on you." Raven approached the rock he was sitting on and handed him his scarf back, keeping the rose in her other hand.

"..umm..thanks…Didn't you get any sleep last night?" she asked as she looked at him curiously.

"My spirit is kept alive by this book…as long as its pages remain protected, I do not need sleep or nourishment of any sort," he explained as he used his magic to have the scarf tie itself around his neck.

"Your spirit?" Raven asked immediately. "I thought you never really died, that you just had yourself locked in the book to preserve yourself." Any inconsistency could help her decide if this was really the person he claimed to be, so she had to be on the defensive.

The young wizard sighed. A slight wind blew through the field, causing his pure white hair to shift around his well-defined face, and Raven suddenly felt a fluttery feeling arise in every part of her body. She felt like one of those swooning girls in those stupid shows Starfire loved to watch…

"I had to sacrifice my body in order to keep the seal upon the dragon intact," he said quietly. Apparently, this was not his favorite topic in the world, but Raven felt an instinctive need to press further.

"And what about the dragon? Is he just a spirit too?" she asked as she stared at him, noticing the sudden sharpness of his bluish-green eyes.

He turned to her and tried to put on a smile for her, though his scarf covered his mouth so it didn't make much of a difference.

"No. I was losing too much strength during my battle with the dragon to actually destroy him for good, so I locked him into my spell book. If the dragon were ever to gain enough power, he could break away from the book in his full form. I knew that, and that's why I sacrificed myself in order to put all my magic into the power of this book to make she spell stronger."

"Are you the one who wrote your story in the book?" Raven asked. "I mean, that's what first attracted me to your spell book in the first place…"

"Well," the wizard said as he closed his eyes and mused. "I took the liberty of weaving the story of the dragon and me into the pages of this book…so yes, I suppose."

"You can control what's written in your book?" Raven asked.

"Yes. The dragon was able to take on that ability of mine when he first fooled you," the wizard reminded.

Raven turned her head to the side. This just brought back too many bad memories to keep thinking about.

"As long as you keep thinking positively, the dragon won't be able to grow stronger," the wizard assured as he saw the sullen look upon Raven's face.

"Right, because he feeds off desperation," Raven said a little acidly as she turned around completely and started to walk away, remembering her own stupidity the first time she had met Malchior.

She recalled her promise to the Titans…she wouldn't get sucked in again. Sometimes she felt as though this was the man she had been waiting for, and other times she could just see another heartbreak waiting to happen. Why couldn't this be easier? More black and white? Her fists tightened, but unfortunately, she had forgotten that she was still holding the rose in her hands. She could feel a very small trickle of blood filling up her palms.

She turned around and looked at the wizard. She had talked to this boy for hours last night…so why couldn't she find it in herself to call him Rorek? Why couldn't she find trust in him?

Maybe, staying away was the smart thing to do. Her mind was probably telling her that this was the safest choice, until she figured out what—or rather who—was real or not.

"I'm truly sorry that he was able to do that to you, and it disgusts me that he used my form to use you like that," the boy said as he jumped off his rock and approached Raven, who had her back turned to him again.

"I need to go," Raven spoke as she brought up her rose-pricked hand to her chest. As she did so, she let the rose fall out of her hands onto the ground.

"Raven-"

As a black glow surrounded the girl, she said, "You may not need to eat, but I do." It was just an excuse to get away…the two of them knew that.

"Raven, please…I don't understand this sudden change of attitude."

Raven pulled her hood on top of her head and turned her head to the side. "I need to understand it before I can return. _Azarath Metrion Zinthos_!"

With a large black swirl, she was gone. Another wind started to blow through the field, sending a shiver much too cold to have been caused by the wind to travel through Rorek's body.

He walked over and picked up the rose that Raven had dropped, noticing the tiny drops of blood that were on the thorns. _"I need to understand it"_…what was the 'it', exactly? With the rose still in his hands, he walked over to the other side of the hill and looked at the castle across the large green field.

The castle that he had imprisoned the dragon in…

As the wind picked up and caused his hair to blow sharply away from his face, he could feel his eyes narrow sharply with anger.

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"Robin, you need to have trust in our friend," the Tamaranian princess said for the fifth time as the leader of the Teen Titans paced on top of the roof. She drummed her fingers in slight anticipation as she sat atop the large ventilation unit on the roof, watching Robin tentatively.

"I told you, Star, I do trust her…I'm just worried that the book will be able to use her again. That's a risk I can't take," the black-haired boy explained as he continued his pacing.

"The book's powers are only useful if she actually communicates with the monster within its pages, and I doubt that Raven would be one to repeat her mistakes," Starfire reminded as she flew over to Robin, following him as he paced.

Robin stopped pacing and turned around to come face-to-face with the green-eyed girl. "Why did she want that book back so badly? Malchior manipulated her magic and hurt her, and what's worse, it was able to suck her and Beastboy into the book all on its own! Doesn't that worry you?"

Starfire placed her feet firmly on the ground and placed her hands onto the boy's shoulders. "Raven would not allow her heart to be broken again. She knows better than to let herself be taken advantage of."

Robin let himself slouch and could feel himself giving in, but not without a fight, of course.

"I would feel better if that book was in the evidence room. It's safer for everyone if that's where it stays," he said with a defeated sigh. Starfire gave Robin a quizzical look, clearing wondering where his faith in the sorceress had gone.

"It's not that I don't trust her. I just know how happy she was when she was 'with' Malchior, and I…well, what if she just wants to find that happiness again?"

"If it is what you wish, I will talk with Raven to make sure that she has remained weary of that book," Starfire suggested.

Robin's forehead furrowed as he considered that possibility. "That _seems_ like a good idea…But, try not to make it too obvious. Spend the day with her doing whatever it is you girls do-"

"Splendid!" Starfire cried as she brought her hands together in applause. As she flew up into the air, Robin called from below:

"And make sure you find out if everything's alright!" he cried as he watched the redhead fly away.

-

"Raven!" a rather loud and more excited than usual voice exclaimed as it entered the kitchen. The sugar and thrill in her voice was loud enough to cause Beastboy and Cyborg to turn around from their videogame and wonder what had caused such…elation.

Raven looked up at Starfire with a static expression on her face as her eyes, still under the shade of her hood, resisted the urge to roll. "Starfire," she replied dully as she continued pouring milk into her bowl of cereal. Starfire simply twirled and flew (at the same time) over to the main control system.

"Truly, what a wonderful day it is," the taller girl mused as she pressed a button and caused every window in Titans' Commons (including the window screen Beastboy and Cyborg were using for their game) to open.

Raven had to admit, though, it _did_ seem like a nice day today…

However, opening all the windows just let all the bright light in, which just caused Raven to pull her hood tighter over the head.

"Hey, come on Starfire! We were playing that," Cyborg complained as Starfire gave everyone in that room the brightest smile her alien heart could muster.

"Yeah, and I was just about crush Cyborg with my super mega jumbo extra loaded mach 5 supreme speed turbo engines!" Beastboy cried as he fell over onto the couch. "I was _so_ close!"

"There is so much sunlight and happiness radiating today! Would you really want to toil away such a glorious day with the games of video?" Starfire asked with a smile that seemed it could melt the heart of anyone.

Suddenly, Beastboy and Cyborg were twenty feet tall as they both looked down at the alien girl.

"YES!!!!" they both cried.

Starfire felt like a little girl as she slouched over and walked away slowly into the kitchen. Meanwhile, Cyborg and Beastboy and resumed their videogame and the sounds of virtual cars racing filled the room yet again.

"Raven, surely you wish to venture out this fine day and join me?" Starfire asked as she flew onto a stool at the counter, facing Raven, who was at the sink, and having much less excitement than when she first came in.

"Venturing's not really my thing, Starfire," Raven explained as she cleaned the bowl and spoon she had been eating cereal with. "Sorry." With a soft clink, the bowl and spoon were placed onto the side of the sink where the clean dishes were.

"Oh please, Raven! How can such a day not spread a tingling sensation of hope and wonder throughout the fibers of your being?" she asked as she leaned over the counter in excitement. "We could stroll through the park, go to the _mall_, OOH! Or even spend the whole day at the zoo!"

Raven eyed Starfire seriously. "Starfire, would you really like to know?"

"Know what?" Starfire asked curiously as he green eyes grew in wonder.

"Why I don't like doing any of those things," Raven explained.

"I can't imagine that they give you any sort of displeasure," Starfire said as she watched Raven walk over to the other side of the counter.

"No, they just have too much pleasure," Raven said as she walked past Starfire. She started climbing up the steps to the room.

Starfire thought for a bit. She bit her tongue, wondering if she should suggest…Raven was just about to walk out of the room when Starfire decided to speak.

"So thanks, Starfire, but no-"

"We could go to the caf-fay," Starfire said slowly. "And listen to the poetry you like. Or perhaps we could listen to that music with the blaring sounds that you are so fond of."

Raven stopped in midstep. She turned around to face Starfire. "Really? You want to do that stuff…with me?"

Starfire could feel her plan working. "If that is what you wish, then yes, of course."

The violet-haired girl stepped down to Starfire's level. "Are you sure?"

"Indeed!"

"Alright then, let's go," Raven said slowly, eyeing Starfire with newfound curiosity.

"Wonderful!"

-

A few hours later, Raven and Starfire walked out of a theater amongst a crowd of other teenagers who were mostly dressed in black.

"Did you like that?" Raven asked as she and her teammate walked down the sidewalk.

"Oh yes! The gore in the lyrics and the excessive, ear-piercing noise proved to be a most wonderful experience!" Starfire exclaimed. Raven and Starfire had stopped walking as Raven examined Starfire's expression of sheer excitement.

"Alright then…" Raven continued to walk.

With Raven's back turned to Starfire, Starfire shivered and felt her eyes go wide in horror. She inwardly swore she would never go to another rock concert ever again.

-

As Raven and Starfire entered Titans' Common, they were greeted by an overly-eager Robin. Beastboy and Cyborg were still involved in their games and had no idea that anyone else was in the room.

"So did you guys have fun?" Robin asked before they had a chance to breathe.

Raven stepped down to the center of the room where he was standing and Starfire followed suit. As the two girls surrounded Robin, Raven spoke in a low yet slightly amused voice.

"You don't have to use Starfire as a spy to make sure I'm behaving," she said so that just he and Starfire could hear. Robin's expectant smile immediately turned into a surprised frown.

Robin, still facing Raven, shifted his eyes over to Starfire who looked equally as surprised.

"It was kind of obvious as soon as she asked to go to the café, that and the fact that she asked if I was making any communication with the book that you should know about three times on the way back here," Raven explained as Robin's eyes darted over to her again. "It was worth it though, just to see her face at the concert."

With that said, Raven turned on her heel and left the room. Robin looked over at Starfire who seemed a little sheepish.

"Hehe…oops."

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As Raven entered her room, she noticed the book she had laid on one corner of her bed that morning. It was dark now, the sky had just fully turned into a brilliant shade of navy blue. If the city weren't so large, perhaps it would have been easier to see all the stars.

She winced. She and Malchior had many conversations about the stars and galaxies. They talked for hours about what was in deep space and what could be found not just in the stars but in the hundreds of dimensions that were scattered throughout the lines of time and space.

It seemed as if they talked for seconds when it really had been hours.

But Malchior was a liar…a fraud. What they talked about had no importance to him. He did not feel the flutter in his stomach that Raven had. A pinching sensation ran through Raven's body. She felt so stupid again…

But not this time…

No, wait. There should be another time…

And yet, she spent the all of last night speaking with Rorek—no, the wizard. She didn't know if he really was Rorek, after all—what if she already made an irreversible mistake just by speaking to him?

She hastily crawled onto her bed and practically tore open the book. She opened up to a page with a picture of the wizard and saw him twiddling with a few blades of grass. The wizard looked up as he saw her and she could tell, even through his black scarf, that he was smiling.

"Raven," the wizard cried. "So you came back. I thought I'd never-"

"Who are you?" she asked sharply, her eyes narrowed and her face holding a stubborn expression of resistance.

"We talk all night and you still don't know. Tsk tsk. Not very responsible, my dear," he teased. Raven let out a small growl. Her hands started to glow with large, black orbs and her eyes stated to attain that entrancing white shine. The wizard seemed taken aback by her sudden anger, but he nevertheless held his posture and showed no obvious signs of surprise…or combat.

"The last time I fell into this book's game, I put my friends in danger. They're everything to me, _everything_. So if you wanna play games with me, I'll destroy you right now and save you the trouble of messing with me again."

"Raven, I never 'messed with you' in the first place. That would be the dragon Malchior. I told you, he fed of your desperation and freed himself from the castle in this book. But don't worry, when you sealed him, using my spell, you placed him back into his castle."

"So are you Rorek?" Raven asked quickly, her hands and eyes still glowing in defense.

The wizard let out a small laugh. "Yes, indeed I am. The very same Rorek who protected his village by sealing the dragon. The very same one who you talked with for hours…the one I thought you might have trusted by now."

"I don't repeat my mistakes. My trust doesn't come that easily," Raven hissed, although she could feel her defenses lowering at every word he spoke in his reassuring voice. _No, don't let this happen…_She immediately increased the magic around her hands and tried to keep herself steady.

"You're smart then. Very well, it's up to you. You can lock this book away forever…or you can destroy it," Rorek said softly.

"You're being awfully understanding considering I just threatened to get rid of you for good," Raven cried suspiciously. Her hands still glowed and her eyes were getting sharper and more defensive.

"Well, I'm trying to get you to play my game." Rorek's eyes shined as he spoke this.

"Your game?" Raven forced herself to keep herself looking dangerous as she looked at him, which was proving to be a very difficult task.

"Yes, my game," he replied tersely.

"Which would be?" Raven asked. Her breathing became shallow and she started to prepare herself for a book burning…harsh, yes, but there was no way she was becoming the love-struck victim again. No way.

"…Getting you to be my friend," he said as he looked up at her.

Raven let the book fall onto her bed. Her hands and eyes stopped their glow, and she felt her heart melt at that cheesy yet incredibly effective line.

She looked at the book's open pages.

_I believe you…every word…._

Why was she so incredibly foolish? Why did she fall for someone who she wasn't even sure of? And she had only known him for about two days, too…Was she really that lonely?

This inner debate was killing her. She stepped off her bed and went over to her bookcase. She picked up an antique weapon from Azarath, an old staff of sorts with large spikes sticking out from the top.

She went back to her bed and looked down at the open page.

"Raven?" the wizard asked as he saw the weapon in her hands.

"I need your blood," she said as she prepared herself to enter the book.

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**Preview:**

"**Is this necessary?" he asked quietly.**

"**Yes, and I'm sorry," Raven replied as she came forward.**

_**Asher Kitty-**__Thanks for your review!  
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_**KC Whitestar-**__I'm glad you liked the story and thanks for the review!_

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_**Nightinggale628-**__Thanks for reviewing!_

_**RangerBlack-**__Well, I'm honored that Blue Moon got your first teen Titans Review. I hope you liked this story so far! And I hoped I didn't keep you waiting too long!_

_**SnakeMistress-**__Thanks for the review!!!_

_**Seishi Sairensuno-**__I'm glad you like my story so much! Sorry to have kept you waiting for two years….I tried to make this chapter really good to make-up for the time._

_**Twilight's Angel-**__No, I plan to finish all my fics…No matter how long it takes! So don't worry, this will be done soon, hopefully the next few chapters will be up soon.  
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_Well, surprisingly, I actually really liked this chapter…I hoped you guys did too!_

_Please review, I'd really appreciate it._

_-Fariha_


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